Leashes Make Good Tug Toys

Leashes Make Good Tug Toys

A leash is a great tool for bitework. It’s almost ever present, on our person or attached to our dog.

Reinforcing a Recall

One of the best places for using a tug on the leash for reinforcement is on Recalls. Often a handler calls a dog and she comes flying back on recall but there is no reinforcement handy. If a dog is conditioned to tug on the leash, the handler will almost always have a cookie to reinforce a great Recall.

Tugging on Lead as Distraction

Teaching a dog that biting the leash is a cookie comes in handy for managing him in a distraction filled environment. It’s no different than working with cookies.

Comments

Lindsay Best

This makes me very nervous. Do you have any leashes left? Duncan was a major leash tugger and it took me a year to get that behavior under control when I got him and we went through several leashes in the process. Although I miss Duncan, I have been enjoying my nice, not bitten up, leashes. I guess everything in moderation is okay. Maybe this would help Ember release some frustration and focus when we are out and about?